When you’re in Hatboro visiting Daddypop’s Diner, Burdick’s News Agency or snapping a photo of  the zigzag roofline at Nu-Life Cleaners  if the sweet tooth strikes, then Stutz Candy Company is just around the corner. Why sure, you could just pick up a national-brand candy bar anyplace, but the fun thing about visiting this Stutz Candy lo [...]

I’d’ve been caught by the witch like Hansel and Gretel since I eagerly pulled my car into what looked like someone’s home driveway, simply because there was a sign out front indicating chocolate ahead! But lucky for all of us, instead I found the nice folks Bergin’s Chocolates candy shop. This family run business started in the kitc [...]

Discovering Retro Roadmap-worthy places requires a sharp eye for detail and clues ala Nancy Drew (or Trixie Belden, if you want to get obscure!) So when Mod Betty spotted the vintage-looking Breyers Ice Cream sign with the phrase “Hand Dipped Bulk” while waiting at a busy light at Bethlehem and Butler Pikes in Ambler, PA she thought Costa D [...]

Daddypops Diner may be in Pennsylvania, but to Mod Betty it is like a visit back home to some of her favorite New England diners. Though built in New Jersey (it’s a Mountain View, built in Singac, NJ) its 1953 birth-year means it is a human-scale diner, seating about 60 max, not one of those huge Jersey diner/restaurants. And this size of din [...]

Mod Betty hangs her head in shame, in realizing a Beauty and the Beast moment recently. You see, she’s guilty of being a “Looks-ist”* dismissing Saville’s Diner as “not my kinda diner” when driving by the pebble-surfaced beige box of a restaurant just off 100 in Boyertown, PA. Boy was I wrong! She should’ve remembered the ol [...]

Mod B recently visited South Philly, and found a little neighborhood on Ritner Street a few blocks off of Broad Street that is an absolute treasure she's excited to share with you.  First stop: Ritner Hardware -  a "fixer-upper's fixture" for 70+ years! Opened originally by Tony and Anna Lauriello in 1946, since 1975 it has been in [...]

Why is this cute corner bread bakery in South Philly called the New York Bakery? 2nd-generation owner Stephen Candeloro says it's a mystery, and if anyone should know it would be him. The bakery opened in 1926, his father owned it since the 1940s, and Stephen took over from him in 1987. But what isn't a mystery is why this bakery appeals to [...]

Despite her self-proclaimed Diner Snobbery, Mod Betty has a soft spot for vintage diners with a rock and roll edge. Places where the “blue hair special” is more likely to be a mohawk than grandma’s coif, but both are welcome. That’s the kind of place Silk City is and a whole lot more. Since you’re a Retro Roadmapper you’ll know a [...]

Looking like a cheery barn on the banks of the Delaware river in New Hope PA, The Bucks County Playhouse is a reminder of that famous movie trope, “hey, let’s put on a show!” And since 1939 they have been doing just that - with legendary stars of stage and screen! The structure was built in 1790 as a grist mill, harnessing the water powe [...]

If you’ve just visited Valley Forge National Park you may still be in the Colonial-era headspace, so why not continue in that vein by breakfast/lunching at the G Lodge? The inside of this unassuming roadside eatery (attached to an auto repair shop) echoes the log cabin structures of adjacent national park...just not as drafty. Originally o [...]

Mod Betty has a new fave sandwich, courtesy of a new Retro Roadmap-worthy spot - The Hungry A in Springfield, PA. Her leopardskin pillbox hat is tipped to fellow diner Bob, who recommended I change my original order. I did, and now I'm hooked! Even the name is awesome:  Burgerama Instead of a standard cheeseburger (my original order) the [...]

I didn't realize how rare it was to find a good old-fashioned bakery until I actually began looking for one. While independent bakeries are a rarity themselves, finding one that makes you feel like you've stepped back into your childhood is even more of a challenge. Until you step into R. Weinrich's German Bakery in Newtown Square, PA that is! [...]

Shuey’s Pretzels is a family owned and run pretzel bakery in Lebanon PA. Open since 1927, the tiny shop has been nestled in a primarily residential area since 1941. I may not have ever discovered Shuey's if I had not gotten lost racing from Heisey’s Diner to the Salvation Army Thrift Store where I had dropped my wallet (long story, but I go [...]

January 2017 update - The Red Rose Diner Is For Sale-! I was just forwarded this link to a craigslist posting for the diner - will keep you posted!   Mod Betty notes: I've been wanting to visit the Red Rose diner for a while now, but lucky for you Retro Roadmap readers, Joe and Anna Butrim beat me to it, and share their photos and exper [...]

2017 update: Mod Betty had to get some Easter Candy and of course stopped by Edwards Freeman - what an assortment! I was also happy to note that they're carrying even more items to line a gift basket with, from drink mixers to all sorts of Stonewall Kitchens items. Here are a few wide shots of the sheer volume of things to choose from! 2016 [...]

Mod Betty was thinking of this big fez today when she was caught in a rainstorm - wouldn't an umbrella shaped like a giant fez be a hoot?!  If you saw a giant fez on the side of the road, wouldn't YOU want to pull over and pose underneath it with your pal? If you have a fun pal like Mod Betty's friend Susan - renown carousel horse restorer, uk [...]

2017 Update: Retro Roadmappers on Facebook alerted me that the Thunderbird was closing for renovations in late April, so we were all a bit concerned that this might include obliterating some of the vintage charm we love so much about this place. Never fear - Mod Betty popped by recently to find the place in fine form.  OK, so I'm a bit bumm [...]

As soon as I saw The White Horse in Berwick Pennsylvania in the background of a photo of my pal Jimmy Rosen's car, I was obsessed with visiting it. I mean how could I not? LOOK at this place - with the exception of the ramp out front and a few incidentals, it looks like this photo could've been snapped 75 years ago! Nestled in a resid [...]

In addition to all the gazillion Retro Roadmap plans pinging around Mod B's skull one that is in the works for 2015 is to do a Retro Roadmap meetup once a month. Unfortunately the freezing cold and snowy icy weather isn't the best for scheduling, but our visit to the Wanamaker Organ at Macy's in Philadelphia was a success, and I totally recommend i [...]

More info at Drive-Ins.com: http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/patsupe/super-322-drive-in-clearfield-pa [...]

More info at Drive-Ins.com: http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/patsilv/silver-drive-in-johnstown-pa [...]

Updated 2016 to reflect new name - Starlight Drive-In! https://www.facebook.com/starlightbutler/ http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/couple-buys-renovates-butler-drive-in-theater/ Thanks Rachelle and Sean for the tip [...]

More info at Drive-Ins.com: http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/patmidw/midway-drive-in-mifflintown-pa [...]

More info at Drive-Ins.com: http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/patlaur/laurel-drive-in-hazleton-pa [...]